The Adventurer's Glossary

An insightful dive into the surprising origins of adventure-related terminology, from A-OK to zoom.

The Adventurer’s Glossary takes readers on their own semantic exploration. Through more than 500 terms, sourced from Shakespeare, military and biker jargon, hip hop and surfer slang, and beyond, Joshua Glenn considers meaning and selfhood. This diverting survey, paired with copious illustrations by cartoonist Seth, is introduced by Mark Kingwell.

Adventure is always escapist and often utopian, yet we find solidarity with others and Kafkaesque existential rabbit holes within the words we use to celebrate high-flying escapades. Even when adventures are small in the cosmic scope, the terminology of thrilling exploits promotes a life lived at a high pitch. This go-to glossary for the philosophical explorer delves into these contradictions and insights through more than five hundred terms, from A-OK to zoom. Semiotician Joshua Glenn sourced terms from Shakespeare, military and biker jargon, hip hop and surfer slang, survivalist and gamer subcultures, comic books, extreme sports, and beyond to ask questions about meaning and selfhood. This diverting survey, paired with copious illustrations by the acclaimed cartoonist Seth, is introduced by Mark Kingwell in a thought-provoking essay.

The Adventurer’s Glossary extends the entertaining and incisive critique found in the trio’s previous books, The Idler’s Glossary and The Wage Slave’s Glossary. This third instalment turns its lens to the language of risk, excitement, and journeying into the unknown, taking readers on their own semantic adventure.